I love you
by csouthard11
Summary: "You can hate your friends." She smiles. "Alright fine, but you can't hate Buttercup. She's too awesome." He chuckles, nodding in agreement. "That's right." He mumbles. "Can't hate Buttercup, no matter how hard you try." (A/U Butch is Buttercup's best friend, but when her old best friend comes to town how will he react? Will he finally admit his feelings? greens. MAYBE other pairs)
1. Chapter 1

". . .You can't hate everything Butch. There has to be something, or someone that you don't. . ."

". . .You."

Buttercup raises her eyebrows at his response. "Me?"

He nods, staring at the ground as if there were words written at his feet. "I don't hate you."

"Well obviously." She laughs. "We're friends right? You can't hate your friends."

He feels a twinge of pain in his chest. She didn't understand what he was saying, or she did but didn't want to.

"Of course you can." He responds, finally looking at her through the corner of his eye. "You can hate your friends."

She smiles. "Alright fine, but you can't hate Buttercup. She's too awesome."

He chuckles, nodding in agreement. "That's right." He mumbles. "Can't hate Buttercup, no matter how hard you try."

* * *

~A few weeks earlier~

* * *

"HEY JACKASS!" Buttercup calls out, smirking as she runs towards her friend, who turns just in time to catch her as she leaps on top of him. Knocking them both to the ground with a loud thud.

"What the hell Buttercup?" Butch groans, pushing her away from him and sitting up, rubbing the back of his head. "That fucking hurt."

"Don't be such a pussy." She rolls her eyes at him. "I got good news."

"Well." Butch smirks. "It's not that you've lost weight, that's for sure."

She scowls at him as she stands, brushing a small patch of dirt off of her left leg. "It's not that you've become more pleasant either." She retorts. "I guess you don't want to hear my new then, I'll just go tell Robyn instead." She starts to walk off counting in her head. '_three. . .Two. . One. .'_

Butch sighs. "Wait. Let's hear it, I got a concussion, might as well get some good news."

She laughs, turning around. "My best friend from back home in Townsville sent me an E-mail. He's moving here, and the truck should be coming by today."

Butch freezes. This wasn't good news. This. . .This is horrible news. "T-that's great." He smiles, trying not to scream out of anger. "Short notice though."

She nods, scowling. "I though so too. He's known for a while, but the little bitch didn't tell me until now."

Butch stands, expression blank. He doesn't know what else to say. This is it. He'd been wondering when this would happen. Ever since Buttercup moved here two years ago he had been drawn to her, no matter how hard he tried not to be. He didn't usually get along well with others, given his awkward and somewhat rude nature. Buttercup though, seemed to bring out the best in him. When they first met he tried to push her away, but she decided she wanted to be friends with him, and when Buttercup decides something, it's pretty hard to get the idea out of her stubborn mind.

Now he would loose her. Her best friend, she had called him. From Townsville. Butch didn't stand a chance, they would have more in common than he could ever hope to have with her. They would share stories of old times, and slowly she would sink away from her, back to her older, probably better, friend.

"BUTCH!" Buttercup screams into his ear. Causing him to jump back in shock.

"What?" He asks, looking around.

"You zoned out." She waves her hand in front of his face, before resting it on his forehead. "Are you getting sick?" She asks, scowling. "Did you do something dumb and get yourself sick?" She scolds him.

He shakes his head. "No. . ." He answers. "I was just thinking. Sorry. What were you saying?"

She rolls her eyes. "I was saying that you and Mitch are gonna get along great."

He raises an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"Because." She responds. "You're both my friends, so you can bond and talk about how great I am."

He smirks at her. "Oh yea, like one two second conversation about you is gonna make us bond."

She punches him in the arm, getting a wince. "He's great though. Will you come with me later to meet him?"

He purses his lips. He wants to say no, but the way she's looking at him just. . . "Fine." He sighs. "I'll push back my busy schedule and go with you."

"Great." She smiles, turning to walk away. "While we're waiting, let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"And you're always ugly."

He laughs, catching up with her and hitting her playfully in the arm. "That's why I hang out with you. The ugly effect. As long as I'm surrounded by people less attractive than me, I look like a model."

"YOU look like a little bitch."

"Shut up." He smiles. '_if she's going to leave me then I'll spend as much time as I can with her today. Try to make it last.' _he though to himself, walking a little ahead of her. "Race you to Casey's!" He says, starting to run ahead, towards the restaurant.

"THAT IS NOT FAIR YOU PRICK!" She yells in response, running to catch up with him. "BUT I'M STILL GONNA BEAT YOU!"


	2. Chapter 2

Butch leans back in his seat, glancing at Buttercup while she browses the menu. He tries to think of fun things they can do together before this new guy gets here, but his mind is blank. He wishes he had known sooner, so he would have more time to prepare. He wishes he had known two years ago, so he could stop himself from getting so attached when he knew better.

She orders, and he orders, and they sit there in silence for a few seconds just looking at each other before Buttercup interrupted it.

"Why the long face?" She asks, jokingly smiling.

He shrugs, faking a smile. "Trying to copy you, horse face." but he can see that she knows something is wrong when she doesn't laugh.

"Butch, really, what's wrong?" she asks, and he shifts uncomfortably.

"nothing, I'm fine." he says, lying to her. "Just thinking."

She sighs, leaning her head on her hand. "Okay, tell me when you're ready."

He doesn't reply, so they sit in an uncomfortable silence until their food comes and their table is surrounded by the sound of forks scraping plates and teeth chewing on pieces of food. Butch can't stand it, and without finishing he stands from the table to leave.

Buttercup pays and follows him out, calling after him but he ignores her. He starts running, he runs until he's lost her, into the woods and further. He doesn't stop until he has to, when his legs ache with the same steady pain that beats in his chest. he leans against a tree, falling against it until he's sitting on the ground with his head in his arms. he sits like that for a while, not moving any more than it takes to breath until he hears the rustle of leaves. He already knows what he'll see when he looks up, and he's right.

Buttercup stands there, worry etched onto her face. An expression he's not use to seeing on her. their entire friendship she's either been happy or angry, this expression makes the ache deeper. She walks slowly towards him, reaching out as if he's a wounded animal, when she speaks it comes out as a whisper.

"What's wrong?"

he closes his eyes, not wanting to look at her. he doesn't know any way to explain what he feels to her without sounding selfish and childish. he doesn't see a way she could understand him, she'd only get upset. he can't tell her that he doesn't want her to have another best friend, he can't tell her that he's in love with her. Because he doesn't want to ruin things with her. Because if she distances herself by getting a new friend there's a chance she'd come back, however small, but if she gets angry and drifts on her own she won't. So he doesn't answer, he just matches her breath as they sit in the woods.

"Butch." She says after a while. "You don't have to tell me, but please come back out of the woods." she bites her lip, and he nods.

She helps him stand, watching him out of the corner of her eye as they walk back. Unsure of that to say, or if she should say anything at all. Eventually she settles on silence, letting her eyes fall down to the sidewalk as they go towards her house. She wonders if he'll come inside with her, or if he'll make some excuse to leave. Suddenly she's not in such a good mood.

When they get to her house they both stand frozen at the end of the walk way, neither looking up at the other. Butch wants to leave, and Buttercup just wants him to stay, but neither of them is brave enough to express it. They stand like that until Buttercup's door opens and her sister Bubbles steps out, Butch's brother Boomer following behind her as she walks towards the two.

The blonde smiles, not feeling the tension in the air. "you guys have been standing out here for a long time." she says, and Boomer nods along, though his eyes don't leave her face. "Boomer and I made cookies, and if you want them while they're hot you should come in now and get them."

Buttercup bites her lip, looking up at Butch and waiting for an answer.

Butch wants to say yes, but he can't. he shakes his head. "I feel kind of sick." He half-lies "I think I'll just go home and lay down."

buttercup sighs, disappointed, and he almost takes it back. Almost.

He doesn't look back as he leaves, praying that his legs don't wobble.


End file.
